Gorillas in Uganda
Gorillas in Uganda are one of the key factors that have contributed to the tourism industry in the gorilla trekking activity in the south west. In Uganda, the only gorilla subspecies you will encounter is the mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei). These mountain gorillas are only found in the Virunga Massif which is shared by three countries that is Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The partition of Uganda is located in the south western part of Uganda in the designated national parks that is; Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park. These two national parks are close to each and the distance between them is about 48 kilometers.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Located in the south western part of Uganda, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is part of the Bwindi Impenetrable forest. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park covers an area about 321 sq km which encompasses a variety of ecosystems from the tropical rain forests to montane highlands. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park borders the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and it is a home for the mountain gorillas.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is rich in a number of species such as birds; the park has over 348 species of birds, about 120 species of mammals, colobus monkeys, chimpanzees, and is a habitat for over 400 endangered mountain gorillas. The Mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are the main attraction in the park are habituated into 17 groups.
Gorilla tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the best site to find the mountain gorillas. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has these tropical forests that provide shelter and food to the mountain gorillas. This means the visitors can travel to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park any time of the year to have a memorable and adventurous experience during the mountain gorilla trekking. Since it has a lot of mountain gorillas over 400, the visitors can never be disappointed since most of these mountain gorillas do not leave the park. All the 17 groups will keep within the park giving you a pleasant holiday as u watch the natural lifestyle of these primates deep in the forests. Some of the groups of mountain gorillas to trek include; Busingye, Nshonji, Bweza, Kyaguriro, Nkuringo, Kahungye, Rushengura, Mubare, Habinyanja, Mishaya, Oruzogo.
As you move through the trails in the tropical forests, you get to view other wildlife such as the colobus monkeys that swing from tree to tree, and the charming sounds of the different species of birds, you get this natural feeling of the wildlife around you that you will not find in the cities and towns. The mountain gorillas are peaceful and joyful and as you meet them in the wild, you find a group in an area resting and feeding. The best part of these treks is that you get a closer view of the mountain gorillas since they are used to humans coming to see them.
Mgahinga National Park
Mgahinga National Park, widely known as Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is located in the Kisoro district in the south western part of Uganda. Mgahinga National Park is among the three parks in the Virunga conservation area and it is the smallest national park in Uganda. The other two parks include Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. Mgahinga National Park covers an area of 13.1 square miles within three extinct volcanoes that is Mt. Gahinga, Mt. Muhavura, and Mt. Sabinyo, and it is operated under the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
Mountain Gorilla trekking is one of the best, memorable and thrilling moments in Mgahinga National Park. The fact that Mgahinga National Park has bamboo and alpine forests, it has largely influenced the existence of the mountain gorillas that now reside in the park. Although Mgahinga National Park has a great number of other wildlife such as the blue, rare red colobus plus black and white colobus monkeys, forest elephants, giant forest hogs various species of birds, mountain gorillas are the main attraction at Mgahinga National Park.
Gorilla trekking permits in Uganda
Since many mountain gorillas are found in Uganda, the demand for gorilla permits is higher than the supply. This, in other words, means that the tour operators have to book the gorilla permits prior to the arrival of the travelers. Booking the mountain gorilla permits in advance saves time and any other inconveniences that may come up due to late booking, the worst being, to miss out on the few mountain gorilla permits.
The Uganda Wildlife Authority which governs the operations of the national parks is responsible for tourism in Uganda and offers about 152 gorilla permits per day for those visiting the 17 habituated mountain gorilla groups in the 4 sectors of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The other park which is Mgahinga National Park offers about 8 permits per day due to the presence of one particular group in the park. The gorilla permits can be booked for at Uganda Wildlife Authority offices in Kampala. The Uganda mountain gorilla trekking permits go for $600, however, things are about to change, as of 1st July 20120, all Ugandan permits will go for $700. This does reduce much tension on the mountain gorilla habitats in bwindi impenetrable national park and mgahinga national parks, plus also to match out the price difference between the $1500 Rwanda gorilla trekking permits and the $600 gorilla trekking permits.
Best time to visit mountain gorillas in Uganda
The best time to visit the mountain gorillas in Uganda is during the months of December to February and June to October. This is because during these months the rain is less and more of a dry season though the gorilla permits are available every day. Not only is mountain gorilla trekking the best activity to do in the dry season, but also other activities such as birding, Batwa cultural encounters, community walks, and nature walks among others.
However, the wet season coldness forces the mountain gorillas to hang around the lowland areas such as Nkuiringo and buhoma. Therefore, you can also get a golden chance to find the mountain gorillas in the shortest distance from the starting point of the trailhead taken. Plus, also the wet season is free time in the different national parks in Uganda bwindi inclusive, so you may need some peace and quietness to do your gorilla habituation in bwindi impenetrable national park during the wet season.
